Mississippi State suffered its third straight loss in SEC play on Saturday, extending the active conference losing streak to 15 games since 2023.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Bulldogs (4-3, 0-3 SEC) simply couldn\u2019t finish on their chances, missing on an opportunity to build a lead in the first half as well as on the last-gasp opportunity to win the game in the final minute.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s a look at the standouts from the loss for MSU.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Standout Stat: Explosive plays<\/p>\n
236 passing yards from 8 plays of 15+ yds<\/p>\n
81 rushing yards gained from 6 plays of 10+ yds<\/p>\n
The Bulldog offense needed to find a spark again, and they found it in Gainesville on Saturday.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lebby\u2019s group had no trouble moving the ball into Gator territory. Quarterback Blake Shapen had three hits on deep-ball attempts, finding Brenen Thompson twice and Anthony Evans once in big spots to set up red-zone possessions.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The performance from the unit as a whole was a far cry from their last time out against Texas A&M two weeks prior, but the problem of finding the end zone remained. Four first half drives following the opening touchdown yielded no points for MSU, and Florida took a 13-7 lead into halftime.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s so many plays inside the game that create a different outcome,\u201d head coach Jeff Lebby said. \u201cI talked about it postgame, one of the biggest frustrations that I had after the game was that we didn\u2019t take control in the first three drives\u2026 The zero and the negative plays when we had opportunities to score on first-and-10 in plus territory. We hand the ball off and and gain two yards when it\u2019s blocked to score a touchdown, and then end up third-and-eight, sack, punt.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brylan Lanier: 8 tackles, 7 solo, 1 sack, 2 INTs, 1 PBU<\/p>\n
The Bulldog defense continues to show its depth, especially in the secondary, with Brylan Lanier taking his turn from a standout group of run and pass defenders.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lanier snagged two interceptions in the first half, stopping two scoring opportunities with the game still in the balance. He also broke up a pass that would have been a touchdown on Florida\u2019s opening drive, and led the team in total tackles and solo tackles.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now, it isn\u2019t always a good thing when the safety leads the team in tackles. In MSU\u2019s case, three safeties led the team in tackles with Isaac Smith and Jahron Manning just behind Lanier. Florida running back Jadan Baugh was constantly breaking through to the second level of the defense on a career day for the sophomore Gator, but Lanier\u2019s contributions in that regard also indicates the versatility of his game. It was key in the final minutes as Lanier read and closed down on Gators quarterback DJ Lagway on a rollout, forcing a punt and giving the offense one last chance to go win.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Among the other members of the secondary, DeAgo Brumfield and Hunter Washington also recorded pass breakups. Kelley Jones notably broke up two early on and was rarely targeted in the second half.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Blake Shapen: 24-36 324 yards, 67% completion rate, 136.7 passer rating, 1 INT<\/p>\n
MSU\u2019s quarterback finally started firing again, and it yielded some really positive plays downfield.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Shapen hit Anthony Evans and Brenen Thompson for big gains in the first half, and led three vital drives in the fourth quarter to keep MSU alive before the costly interception in the final minute.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Shapen also made two huge conversions late in the game to keep the Bulldogs alive. On their last touchdown drive, a do-or-die situation, he made conversions with his arm on fourth-and-15 and third-and-four, and made a huge pickup on the ground of 18 yards to kickstart the final drive.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The big mistake will be the first memory of the game for many, and though Shapen had his most productive game through the air, he looked at his decision making as a point to improve on.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI look at my game, I\u2019ve got to improve there,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen we have a freebie we\u2019ve got to hit it, and that\u2019s a big thing moving forward this week.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brenen Thompson and Anthony Evans<\/p>\n
Thompson: 7 catches, 155 yards, 22.1 yards per catch<\/p>\n
Evans: 11 catches, 107 yards, 9.7 yards per catch<\/p>\n
The big plays returned for MSU thanks in large part to the dynamic receiving duo of Thompson and Evans. The pair each produced a 100-yard outing, and did so together for the second time this season. MSU receiving duos have only done that nine times since 1995, making it that much more impressive that they\u2019ve done it twice and have the chance to do it again this season.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The pair have suffered in terms of targets in recent games as the passing game slowed down, but they helped to reignite the offense on Saturday. <\/p>\n